Risk Assessment and Method Statement (RAMS)

Level: Intermediate to Advanced

Duration: 2 Days

Delivery: Face-to-Face | Virtual | Hybrid

Certificate: FRISK Certificate in RAMS Proficiency

⸻

🧭 Course Overview

Risk assessments and method statements (RAMS) are essential tools for managing workplace safety and ensuring compliance with legal and operational standards. This two-day, interactive course equips professionals with the skills and confidence to create legally sound and operationally effective RAMS documents that safeguard people, property, and productivity.

Participants will explore how to identify hazards, assess risks, define safe systems of work, and develop structured method statements that clearly communicate how specific tasks should be carried out safely. Through a combination of expert instruction, real-life case studies, and hands-on workshops, learners will develop RAMS that are not only “suitable and sufficient” but also practical and tailored to dynamic work environments.

Whether you are preparing documentation for high-risk tasks, supervising operations, or conducting routine reviews, this course enables professionals to produce RAMS that meet industry best practices and regulatory scrutiny.

⸻

🎯 Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

•Understand the legal requirements governing risk assessments and method statements

•Identify workplace hazards and evaluate associated risks using standard methodologies

•Apply the Hierarchy of Controls to design safe work procedures

•Write comprehensive, task-specific method statements that align with identified risks

•Integrate risk assessments with method statements for complete RAMS documentation

•Communicate RAMS clearly to operational teams, contractors, and regulators

•Monitor, review, and update RAMS in response to operational changes or incidents

•Ensure that RAMS support audit readiness and legal compliance

⸻

👥 Who Should Attend?

This course is ideal for:

•Health & Safety Officers

•Site Managers and Supervisors

•Facilities, Operations, and Maintenance Teams

•Construction and Engineering Professionals

•Compliance and HR Personnel

•Anyone responsible for planning or overseeing hazardous work activities

⸻

🧠 Training Methodology

•Instructor-led sessions using industry-specific examples

•Group activities on RAMS development and critique

•Live workshops to apply learning to real or simulated tasks

•Peer-to-peer reviews and facilitated feedback

•Final written/verbal assessment of RAMS documentation created by participants

⸻

📚 Course Outline

📅 Day 1 – Foundations of Risk and Work Methodology

Module 1: Legal Framework and RAMS Essentials

•Regulatory context for risk assessments and method statements

•Employer and employee duties under HSE, ISO, and EU laws

•The role of RAMS in planning, execution, and accountability

•Case study: Legal and operational failures due to weak RAMS

Module 2: Hazard Identification and Risk Evaluation

•Defining hazards vs. risks

•Risk rating models (likelihood × severity)

•Hazard types: physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic, and psychosocial

•Practical hazard-spotting and risk-rating exercises

Module 3: Writing Structured Risk Assessments

•Core elements of a risk assessment

•Task-based vs. location-based assessments

•Legal benchmarks for “suitable and sufficient” documentation

•Workshop: Drafting a compliant risk assessment from a real-world scenario

⸻

📅 Day 2 – Method Statements and Integrated Safety Planning

Module 4: Applying Controls and Safe Systems of Work

•The Hierarchy of Controls in real operational settings

•Selecting and layering control measures

•Linking controls to method statement instructions

Module 5: Method Statement Structure and Development

•What is a method statement? Purpose and legal context

•Key parts: task description, sequence of operations, responsibilities, PPE, equipment, emergency measures

•Aligning the method statement with risk assessment findings

•Workshop: Writing a method statement for a moderately complex task

Module 6: Implementation, Communication, and Review

•Integrating RAMS into daily operations

•Communicating RAMS to workers and third-party contractors

•Version control, sign-offs, and documentation tracking

•Workshop: Present and defend your RAMS in a team exercise

⸻

🏢 Organisational Impact

•Strengthened compliance and reduced exposure to legal risk

•Higher consistency and quality in planning hazardous tasks

•Fewer incidents through proactive identification and mitigation

•Better collaboration between planning, HSE, and operations teams

⸻

👤 Personal Impact

•Mastery in producing industry-standard RAMS documentation

•Enhanced leadership in safety planning and communication

•Broader career opportunities through formal certification

•Real-world skills applicable across diverse industries and roles

⸻

🎓 Certification

Participants will receive the FRISK Certificate in RAMS Proficiency upon successful completion of the course and final assessment.

⸻

📞 Ready to move from paperwork to protection?

Write RAMS that lead to real-world safety.

Book your place or bring this course in-house with FRISK.